Automatic lubricator for motor-car engines.



A. B. MORSE.

AUTOMATIC LUBRIGATOR FOR MOTOR GAR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.'7, 1908.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,B. J On? e,

A. B. MORSE.

AUTOMATIC LUBRIOATOR FOR MOTOR GAR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1908.

1,000, 1 88. Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. PM gi a/Aliwd A. B. MORSE.

AUTOMATIC LUBRIGATOR FOR MOTOR GAR ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 190a.

1,000,188, Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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Marat M ALFRED B. MORSE, OF SOUTH EASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOB FOR MOTOR-CAR ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 8,.1911,

Application filed March 7, 1908. Serial No. 419,737.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. MORSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Easton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Lubricators for Motor-Car Engines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanylng drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

In modern hydrocarbon-explosive engines, and especially in modern high-speed automobile construction, the roper lubrication of the engine is of vita importance, and my invention aims to simplify and render certain, uniform and reliable this important feature of the engine. To this end I aim to do awa$ with the expensive, complicated and me cient system of small copper pipes WlllCh are at present employed for delivering oil from the oil tank through sight-feed oilers to the desired parts of the engine, said pipes bein not merely expensive and difficult to un erstand and to repair, but tending to clog and cease to flow in cold weather or on account of thick, dirty, gummy oil, or to deliver an excess of oil at times, thereby causing the car to smoke. My invention not only eliminates all these pipes, but maintains the oil always at a given level and hence prevents smoking. I provide an oil supply in the crank chamber, into which the cranks dip to just the ri ht extentto keep the engine, properly lu ricated, the rapid splashing of the cranks dividing the oil into a spray or mist of oil, which gives perfect lubrication of all moving parts without an danger of excess, inasmuch as the oil is always maintained at exactly the right level. It is not new to-emp'loy a splash system of lubrication, but it is new to main-' tain a proper level at all times, irrespective of the position of the vehicle, whether going up aside hill or transversely thereof, or upset, and I accomplish this automatically without indicators, and so that there is always a proper level at each end of the crank case, whatever may be the operative inclination of the vehicle. due to an automatic circulation system in connection with a supply tank or chamber just below the crank chamber. Instead of providing free, open communication between said two chambers, I provide a regulated communication which permits only a prede- This level is termined passage of oil in one direction and does not permit an automatic return of oil in the other direction to the crank chamber. A further advantage of this arrangement is that thereby a larger quantity of 011 may be conveniently earned, in proper thin, free running condition.

Preferably the operating'mechanism of my invention is jacketed with hot water from the engine circulation or with hot-air from the exhaust pipe, whereby the oil and o crating parts are kept properly warm at ail times so that even in the coldest weather the oil is kept thin and therefore nothing can clog.

In the drawings, in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 shows the same in rear elevation, parts being broken away for clearnes's of illustration and understanding of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the.

parts mainly in central transverse section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 Fig. 2; Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are horizontal sections taken respectively on the lines 4, 5, and 6, Fig. 2; and Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views showing respectively the crank chamber or intermediate section of the casing and the oil reservoir or bottom chamber.

It will be understood that my invention is not restricted to any particular kind of engine or field of work, although primarily intended for automobile motors, and accord. ingly, to make my invention readily apprehended, I have shown the same in connection with an ordinary four-cylinder highspeed engine, such as is commonly found in automobiles or motor cars or boat-s. As my invention relates only to the lubrication, I have omitted to show the details of the engine, having. indicated four cylinders 1, mounted above a crank case 2 in which is journaled the crank shaft 3 driven in usual manner by cranks 4 and connectlng l nks or piston rods 5 from the cylinder pistons. Directly beneath the crank case 2 I mount an oil reservoir or chamber 6. Communication between the two is provided by cored passages or ports 7, preferably formed as a part of the two castings constltuting the two chambers, these tubular passages terminating in overflow ends 8, at their upper partment of the crank chamber, two thereof being herein shown,separated by a partition 9 in order that the oil may not be permitted to run all to one end when'the vehicle tips either sidewise or endwise. The oil circulation ports 7 deliver the oil to automatic pumping means 10 in the oil chamber for maintaining a continuous flow of oil from the latter into the-crank chamber. The oil,

however, is not pumped directly, but is first r pumped or otherwise delivered from the ports 7 to the chamber 6, and then is subsequently pumped from the'chamber 6 for delivery back to the crank case 2. As the pump is centrally located between the overs flows, and the passages or ports 7 are closed crank case, nor deliver any oil to the oil receptacle, as the interposed pump prevents the free flow of oil either to or from the crank chamber. If the pump is not running, the oil cannot flow through the ports 7, but in order to pass from the crank case to the supply chamber it must be pumped thereinto, as herein shown, in the preferred embodiment of my invention. I provide a return duct from the crank case to the pump and the latter discharges the oil into the oil chamber. In other words, this feature of my invention resides in making it impossible for the oil to run either from the crank case into the oil receptacle or from said receptacle into the crank case of itsown accord, so that if the. vehicle were capsized no oil would flow of itself from said receptacle into the crank case. Moreover, because of the partition 9 and the central posltion of the pump there is always a proper supply of o1l.in both ends of thecrank case irrespective of whether. it is tipped or not. I

Viewing Figs. 26 it will be seen that I provide a cylindrical pocket or vertical c01- umn 11 extending through the oil chamber into the crank chamber. Fitting snugly n this casing is a casting 12 having a chamber or cavity 13 at its lower end closed by a plate 14pr0vided on its'under side with a chamber 15 closed by a head 16 bolted at 17 to thecasing 11 and the whole held together by long bolts 18. In the cavity 15'are two intermeshing gears 19, 20, and in the cavity 13 are similar intermeshing gears 21, 22, the gears 19 and 21 being fast on a vertical shaft 23 whose upper end carries a bevel gear 24 driven by a corresponding gear 25 operated by any continuously movable portion of the engine, being herein shown as mounted on a cam shaft 26, which actuates the valve mechanism of the engine (not shown). The gears 20, 22 are mounted for convenience on a short stub shaft 27. The

pump cavity 13 receives oil-from the ports 7 through a connection 28 opening into a port 29 ofthe pump casting and delivers the oil through a port 30 to the oil chamber 6, while oil is delivered from the oil chamber or reservoir through a cast port or passage 31 and port 32 to the cavity15 and-thence through a port 33 to a duct or passage 34, 35, 36, the part 36'thereof being herein shown as formed in the partition 9, theu'pper end of said passage beingplugged at 37 and provided with preferably small outlets 38, 39, said outlets being located above the overflows 8 and serving to direct s'mall streams of oil continuously into the opposite compartments of the crank chamber 2. The'part 34 of the oil passage is shown as a vertically extending cast groove or port in the periphery of the casting 12, and the part 35 is a peripheral groove in said casting, and the entire construction of the pump is such-that in case it should become foul from any reason it can be almost instantly cleaned. All that is necessary in order to clean the passage 34, 35 is to remove the bolts 17, thereby permitting the pump to be lowered, and then the operator simply scrapes out the grooves 34, 35 with his finger, or swashes the entire pump in kerosene, without taking the pump apart, and then pushes the pump back into place. Similarly the oil supply portion of the pump may be readily cleaned by hand if desired by removing the head 16 from the rest of the pump, and the oil return portion of the pump may be cleaned by removing the plate 14. The oil return chamber 13 has preferably a considerably larger capacity than the oil supply chamber 15, one object of my inventlon being to make certain that there can never be an excess of oil in the crank case. Surrounding the lower or exposed portion of the pump is the hot air, (or gases from the explosions of the motor) water, or steam jacket 40, providing a passage 41 for said air, steam or hot water, connected with any convenient source, being provided for this purpose with an intake pipe 42 and outlet pipe 43 in the exhaust circuit, or hot water or steam circuit, of the engine circulation system. The jacketing of the oil supply is not restricted to the pump, although for most situations this is preferable and sufiicient. Preferably also a pressure indicator 44 is connected by an air pipe 45 with the oil-delivery portion of the pump, being herein shown as connected at 46 to the passage 36 outside of the crank case, said indicator 44 being located conveniently for the observation of the motor driver. Also, preferably check valves 47, of any suitable kind, are interposed in the passages or ports 7 to prevent any back flow in the latter.

In use it will be readily understood that, even in the coldest weather, there can be no failure of lubrication on account of the. chilling of the oil inasmuch as the oil is held right at the engine itself, and is maintained thin or limpid at all times by the hot-water jacketed pump, the latter maintaining the circulation continuously by being driven from some moving part'of the engine, and the oil maintaining itself automatically at a uniform level because of the continuous flow of the oil in connection with the fixed overflows, barrier'pump, etc. The height of the oil in the crank chamber, as already stated, depends on the height of the overflows 8, which are fixed at just that height which experience has found proper for the 1 best lubrication and avoidance of smoke at ber in case of an overturn ofthe vehicle.

of the practical results of this part of my' the muffler discharge, and as the cranks splash successively in the oil with great rapidity they subdivide a portion of the oil into a spray or mist like a fog, which keeps the surfaces of the moving parts perfectly lubricated and yet without any excess of lubrication and therefore without liability of producing smoke at the muflier discharge. 1 make no claim broadly to the idea of splashing the oil in this manner as that has been done before, but I believe it is new to maintain the oil at an unvarying level sothat thereby the result of the splashing of the oil is kept absolutely uniform, while at the same time providing means to prevent the flooding of the crank case with oil from the oil cham- One invention is that it eliminates the disagreeable odorous smoking of the engine commonly experienced whenever there is an excess of'oil. One of the principal objects of my invention, however, has been to devise a mechanism and system of oiling which does away with the small copper pipes or tubes at present commonly employed for conveying the oil from an oil .pump through sightfeed oilers to the different parts which are to be lubricated andwhich is at the same time safe under all conditions of use and accident. The withdrawal of the oil from the crank case, as well as delivery. of the oil waste as the oil is continually pumped over and over. By having the closed passages 7, no oil can flow back from the oil chamber even if the chamber should tilt in any direction. If any foreign substance should get into the oil, or the pumping apparatus should need cleaning, there are no delicate parts requiring that the machinery should be taken to a skilled mechanician, but the casting 12 is simply lowered and its grooves brushed out with a brush or with the finger, or the entire pump swashed in a bucket of gasolene or kerosene. If one of the gears should break, it may be removedwith equal, ease, as the'parts are held together simply by the bolts 17, 18. Preferably the entire oil chamber and the contained ports or passages and pump case are made in one piece or' casting, and scarcely any machine work is necessary, My aim has been to simplify and cheapen the cost of manufacture while at the same time increasing the efliciency of lubrication.

As already intimated, I do not intend to restrict my invention to the constructional details herein shown, as many changes in arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lubricating system, the combination with a chamber containing the lubri can-t. of means for positively feeding the lubricant into and out from said chamber, with a differential in feeding capacity in favor of the outlet feed, the outlet conduit being located to maintain the lubricant at a predetermined level withinthe chamber.

2, In a lubricating system, the combination with a chamber containing the lubricant, of a differential pump for positively feeding the lubricant into and out from said chamber, with a differential in feeding capacity in favor of the outlet feed. the outlet conduit being located to maintain a predetermined level within the chamber.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described. the combination with the engine of a casing for a movable part of the engine, an oil supply chamber, and mechanism to maintain automatically a predetermined level of oil in said casing including means to prevent any oil flowing back directly from said chamber into said casing.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a crank case, an oil receptacle supplemental to the crank case, a return duct through which surplus oil may flow in passing from the crank case to the oil receptacle, and means for preventing the back flow of oil through said return duct to said crank case in case the crank case and oil receptacle are accidentally inverted.

[ In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination of a crank case, an oil re- .ceptacle supplemental to the crank case, oil

circulation means for permitting the flow of oil from said case to said receptacle and: from said'receptacle back to said case, in-' cluding an oil pump, and provision for a hot-water circulation system, including a jacket for maintaining the Said pump warm while 'it is pumping the oil.

6.- In an apparatus of the kind described,

' the combination of a crank case, an oil resaid chamber to said case.

ceptacle supplemental to the crank case, oil circulation means for permitting the flow ofoil from said case to said receptacle and from said receptacle back to said case, including an oil pump, and a heating jacket surrounding said oil pump.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the en ine and its crank, of a crank case into which the crank moves, an oil supply chamber for supplying said crank case with oil for the crank to splash into, an overflow for limiting the height of said oil and -means for preventing the flow of oil through .said overflow from -8. In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination with an engine-and a movable part thereof, of an oil chamber into which said movable part moves, an oil-supply chamber beneath said .oil chamber, and

pumping means for controlling theflow of oil in either direction between said chambers and maintaining a continuous circula tion of oil between said chambers.

9. The combination with an engine having a movable part, an oil chamber into which I ing a movable part, an oil chamber into which said part moves for delivering oil to the engine, an oil supply chamber adjacent said oil chamber, pumping means to pump the oil from said oil chamber into said supply chamber, and pumping means to pump the oil from said supply chamber back into the oil chamber.

11. The combination with an engine having a movable part, an oil chamber into which said part moves for delivering oilto the engine, an oil supply chamber adjacent said oil chamber, pumping means of large capacity to pump the 'oil from said oil chamber into said supply chamber, and pumping means of small capacity to pump the oil from said supply chamber back into the oil chamber, said oil chamber containing means to prevent the withdrawal therefrom of an' undue amount of oil.

12. The combination with an engine havthe engine, ports being provided from said pump into the two chambers to permit the continuous circulation therein of oil by means of said pump.

. 13. The combination with an engine having a movable part, of two chambers, into one of which said movable part moves to supply'oilto the engine, a tubular opening through one of said chambers into the other, a pump fitting in said tubular opening, and operating means connecting said pump with the engine, ports being provided from said pum into the twochambers to permit the continuous circulation therein of oil by means of said pump,-said pump having oil passages formedin its outer surface which may be inspected and scraped upon the withdrawalof thev pump from said opening. 14. The combination with an engine having a movable part, of two chambers, into one of which saidmovable part moves to supply oil to the engine, a jacketed tube providing a tubular opening through one of said chambers into the other, a pump fitting in said tubular opening, operating means connecting said'pump with the engine, ports being providedfrom said pump into the-two chambersto permit. the continuous circulation therein of oil by means of said pump, and connections from said jacketed tube to the circulation system' of the engine for maintainingthe' oil warm inthe pump.

15. The combination with an engine having a. movable part, an oilchamber into -which said part moves fordelivering oil to the engine, an oil supply chamber adjacent said oil chamber, pumping means'to maintain a circulation of oil from the supply chamber into. the other chamber, provision located within the said oil chamber for restricting the delivery of the oil from said pumping means, and an oil-pressure indicator connected adjacent said oil delivery for indicating externally the operative condition of the oil circulation. I

16. An engine, having a crank, a crank case therefor, an oil supply chamber adjacent the crank case, a tubular casing cxten'd- I ing transversely through the supply chain her and communicating with the lnterior of the crank case, a pump mounted for endwise removal in said tubular casing, connections from said pump to a moving part of the engine for operating the pump, said pump including a rotary shaft mounted endwise therein, intermeshing pumping gears driven by said shaft, ports and passages between said gears and said case and chamber for the removal of oil from the case into the chamber, and other intermeshing pumping gears driven by said shaft, and ports and passages between said second mentioned gears and said case and chamber for the delivery of oil from the chamber to said case.

17. In an apparatus of the kind described, an oil supply chamber, a transverse tubular casing therein, a pump body mounted for endwlse removal in said casing, a gear cavity at one end of said body, a shaft journaled lengthwise in said body, intermeshing pumping gears mounted in said cavity-and rotated by said shaft, a partition plate inclosing said gears, a closing head beyond said plate, a gear cavity between said plate and head, a second set of pump gears in said second mentioned cavity also rotated by said shaft, and ports and connecting passages from said two sets of pump gears to said chamber for the delivery of'oil by one set of gears to the chamber and the removal of oil by the other set of gears from the chamber.

18. In an apparatus of the kind described, an engine having a movable part, an oiling chamber into which said part moves for oiling purposes, an oil supply chamber adjacent said oiling chamber, means for delivering oil from said oil supply chamber to the oiling chamber, and an overflow vport or passage from said oiling chamber into said oil supply chamber closed excepting at its inlet in the oiling chamber and at its outlet in the supply chamber, and arranged to permit the flow of oil only from said oiling chamber to said supply chamber.

19. In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination with an engine and its cranks, of a crank case, an oil supply chamber adjacent thereto, and opposite ports or passages leading respectively from the opposite ends of the crank case into the middle of the supply chamber closed excepting at their inlet ends in the crank case and at their outlet at the middle of the supply chamber and containing means to prevent a back flow of oil in case the apparatus is inverted.

20. The combination with an engine and its cranks, of a crank case about the cranks, an oil supply chamber adjacent the crank case, a central pump in the oil chamber, overflow ports or passages from the opposite ends respectively of the crank case for conducting oil therefrom to said pump and thence delivering the oil into the supply chamber, and closed excepting at their opposite ends.

21. The combination with an engine and its cranks, of a crank case about said cranks, transversely divided into a plurality of compartments, means for withdrawing surplus oil from each compartment into the supply chamber, said withdrawing means being provided with means for preventing the reverse flow therethrough of the oil, and automatic means for maintaining oil delivery from the oil supply tank into each compartment of'the' crank case.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED B. MORSE.

Witnesses:

M. J. SPALDING, GEo. H. MAXWELL. 

